Private Lessons & Coaches in North Chicago, IL

With 22 years in combat sports and athlete development, I bring the kind of experience you can't teach—you earn it. I competed exclusively in the super heavyweight division, finishing my amateur kickboxing career at 12-0 before turning professional, where I went 3-0 in kickboxing and 1-0 in professional boxing. Along the way, I earned three championship titles: TCB Illinois State Amateur Champion (1997), TBC Windy City Champion (1998), and TCB Midwest Champion (1999). Beyond my own competition history, coaching is where I’ve built my legacy. I’ve trained and cornered dozens of male and female athletes across boxing, kickboxing, and MMA, helping them build confidence, sharpen technique, and step into the ring prepared to win. My approach is equal parts technical detail, discipline, and mindset development—because a fighter’s body follows where their belief leads. I’m not here just to teach punches and kicks. I’m here to develop competitors, leaders, and resilient athletes who know how to push through, get better, and show up like champions.

"I hesitate to give constructive critique via message. As we know, words are not always interpreted as intended. That being said, here we go: I have worked with 4 personal trainers over the years. IMO you are the best. You know how the body works, what we should be feeing and where we should feel it. You have shown me that the smallest tweak can make the biggest difference. You’ve been through some things and you also know how the body doesn’t work (injuries) and you are careful about that. I like your training style and if I am not being challenged, neither of us is doing our best. Thank you for not swearing during our sessions. Please don’t tell me I’ve done something well, when I can feel I haven’t. False “kudos” are not appreciated. I understand we live in a time where everyone expects “good job” just for breathing, but when a person who is critical tells me my form/technique was good, I can believe them. Thank you for reminding me to “get out of my head”, but sometimes I need to step back for a minute; take a pause to reset. We’ve had some heated discussions and I’m fine with that as long as we come to an understanding by the end of the session. We play hard and a few clashes are to be expected as long as we have respect. I hope to meet the corporate people next time they come in. I will tell them how I appreciate your knowledge and workout advice. Sorry. Not so short.

Igniting passion and skill on the court is my specialty. As a solid tennis and pickleball player, I taught highly regarded skills clinics in the local community. Most of my players experience rapid progress on the court and leave the clinic with much more confidence and enthusiasm for the game. I offer tailored instruction to elevate your game, making learning fun and effective. Let's achieve your goals together! I’m passionate about the sport and would like to help as many people learn and improve as possible. If you need a lesson outside of Wilmette in the north shore area, please send me a request. I’ll see what I can do. All my sessions will be tailored specifically to individual players. Here’s an overview of what we will do based on your levels: For Beginners: Building the Foundation The goal is to get you up and running so you can truly enjoy your new sport. I will focus on laying a solid technical foundation and teaching you the key strategies needed to start playing matches. By understanding the "how" and the "why" early on, you will see consistent, rewarding progress over time. For Intermediate Players: Breaking the Bottleneck I will identify exactly what is holding you back—the specific moments where you feel uncomfortable or lose points repeatedly. We’ll use purposeful, engaging drills to turn those weaknesses into strengths. Often, refining just one specific shot can transform your entire game. From there, we will progress into advanced shot selection and point construction. For Advanced Players: Mastering the Margins At this level, it’s about fine-tuning your unique style. I will analyze your game to sharpen your anticipation, balance, and footwork. Our sessions focus on high-level decision-making, precise targeting, and superior ball control. Finally, we’ll integrate the "secret sauce" of the competitive game: mental toughness and peak physical fitness.

"I’m an advanced tennis player. Playing pickleball is easy but also humbling as I level up when patience and strategy become critical. Wen helped me understand the key difference between the two sports and develop skills and intuition to play competitively in pickleball.